Captive fastener assembly and method

Abstract

A captive fastener assembly and method comprising a retaining plate for positioning upon a perimeteral surface of a cover of an enclosure during use, the retaining plate comprising a plurality of plate openings having an inner diameter for the passage of a plurality of respective captive fasteners. The captive fastener assembly further comprises a plurality of respective securing rings having inner and outer diameters, the plurality of capture fasteners comprising an annular notch for fixedly attaching to the inner diameter of the securing ring during use, wherein the outer diameter of the securing rings is greater than the inner diameter of the plate openings.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A captive fastener assembly comprising:
 a retaining plate for positioning upon a perimeteral surface of a cover of an enclosure during use, the retaining plate further comprising a plurality of plate openings having an inner diameter for the passage of a plurality of respective captive fasteners; and   a plurality of respective securing rings having inner and outer diameters, said plurality of captive fasteners comprising an annular notch for fixedly attaching to said inner diameter of said securing ring during use;   wherein said outer diameter of said securing rings is greater than said inner diameter of said plate openings.   
     
     
         2 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of captive fasteners further comprise a head at a first end and a plurality of threads at a second end wherein said retaining plate is positioned during assembly between said respective fastener head and said annular notch supporting said securing ring. 
     
     
         3 . The captive fasteners assembly of  claim 1  wherein said retaining plate further comprises at least one holding point comprising an opening for a holding fastener used to secure said retaining plate during use to a cover of an enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 1  wherein said retaining plate is positioned upon a perimeteral surface of an upper cover of an enclosure, the enclosure further formed by a lower cover, said upper cover having a pass-through opening and said lower cover having a threaded opening, said pass-through opening, plate opening, and threaded opening being substantially concentrically aligned. 
     
     
         5 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 1  wherein said securing rings further comprise a less than semi-circular opening for attaching said securing ring to said annular notch. 
     
     
         6 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 4  wherein the outer diameter of said securing ring is smaller than the diameter of said pass-through opening in said upper cover, allowing for the free inner movement of said fastener within said pass-through opening. 
     
     
         7 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 1  wherein said securing ring and retaining plate are made from metal. 
     
     
         8 . The captive fastener assembly of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of captive fasteners further comprise a threaded portion and a smooth shank, said annular notch being positioned on said fasteners between said shank and threaded portion. 
     
     
         9 . A method of securing first and second cover portions together to form an enclosure with a captive fastener assembly in order to retain a plurality of captive fasteners to the enclosure should any one of a plurality of captive fasteners become disengaged from said first or second cover portions, the method comprising the steps of:
 securing a retaining plate upon a perimeteral surface of a first cover of an enclosure during use, the retaining plate further comprising a plurality of plate openings having an inner diameter for the passage of a plurality of respective captive fasteners;   providing a plurality of respective securing rings having inner and outer diameters, said plurality of captive fasteners comprising an annular notch for fixedly attaching to said inner diameter of said securing ring during use; and   providing said outer diameter of said securing rings so that the outer diameter is greater than said inner diameter of said plate openings such that said retaining plate retains said plurality of fasteners to said enclosure should any one of the plurality of fasteners become disengaged from said first or second cover portions.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of providing at least one holding point in said retaining plate comprising an opening for a holding fastener used to secure said retaining plate during use to one of said first and second cover portions forming said enclosure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of substantially concentrically aligning said plate openings with a pass-through opening in said first cover portion and a threaded opening in said second cover portion. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of providing a less than semi-circular opening in said securing ring and attaching said securing ring to said annular notch in said plurality of captive fasteners. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of providing the outer diameter of said securing ring so that it is smaller than the diameter of said pass-through opening in said first cover portion, allowing for the free inner movement of said respective captive fastener within said pass-through opening. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of providing said plurality of captive fasteners with a threaded portion and a smooth shank, and positioning said annular notch between said shank and threaded portion. 
     
     
         15 . An enclosure system having captive fastener assembly for securing a plurality of fasteners to an enclosure, the enclosure system comprising:
 first and second cover portions that when secured together by at least two captive fasteners form an enclosure, one of said first and second cover portions having a plurality of threaded openings and the other of said first and second cover portions having a plurality of pass-through openings, the pass-through openings being substantially concentrically aligned with said threaded openings in order to receive said at least two captive fasteners;   a captive fastener assembly comprising:
 said at least two captive fasteners; 
 a retaining plate for positioning upon a perimeteral surface said cover portion comprising said pass through openings, the retaining plate further comprising a plurality of plate openings having an inner diameter for the passage of said at least two fasteners; and 
 a respective securing ring for fixedly attaching to each of said at least two captive fasteners, said securing rings having inner and outer diameters and said at least two captive fasteners comprising an annular notch for fixedly attaching to said inner diameter of said securing ring during use, wherein said outer diameter of said securing rings is greater than said inner diameter of said plate openings, such that said retaining plate retains said securing ring and fixedly attached captive fasteners within said pass through-opening should any one of said captive fasteners become unthreaded from said threaded openings. 
   
     
     
         16 . The enclosure system of  claim 15  wherein said retaining plate further comprises at least one holding point comprising an opening for a holding fastener used to secure said retaining plate during use to one of said cover portions of said enclosure. 
     
     
         17 . The enclosure system of  claim 15  wherein said securing rings further comprise a less than semi-circular opening for attaching said securing ring to said annular notch. 
     
     
         18 . The enclosure system of  claim 15  wherein said at least two captive fasteners further comprise a threaded portion and a smooth shank, said annular notch being positioned on said fasteners between said shank and threaded portion.